2^2 



NATURE 



{July 6, 1882 



A well-attended meeting was held last week to consider 

 the desirability of presenting a testimonial to Mr, Ernest Hart 

 in recognition of his eminent public and professional services. 

 It was unanimously resolved that an appeal for subscriptions 

 should be made to the medical profession and the general public 

 in support of this movement. It was agreed that the testimonial 

 should take the form of a portrait of Mr. Ernest Hart, t 1 be 

 presented to Mrs. Ernest Hart. It was announced that already 

 over 100 influential members of the medical profession had 

 expressed their desire to contribute to the fund. Mr. Spencer 

 Wells was appointed treasurer, Mr. Arthur Myers, surgeon to 

 the Coldstream Guards, and Mr. Noble Smith (24, Queen Anne 

 Street, W.), were appointed hon. sees., and an executive com- 

 mittee, with power to add to their number, was appointed. 



In a recent communication to the Vienna Academy, Dr. 

 Paulsen has described a singular series of experiments with 

 reference to the course of air in the nasal cavity in breathing. 

 Conclusions as to this path have been drawn from structure, but 

 Dr. Paulsen adopted the method of lining the nasal cavity in the 

 head of a dead body with small pieces of red litmus paper, and 

 then causing ammoniacal air to be inhaled and exhaled through 

 the windpipe. The changes of colour) in the paper proved that 

 the expiratory and inspiratory currents take nearly the same 

 course, and that the main portion passes, not through one of the 

 nasal passages, but along the septum in an arching course, convex 

 above. The course of air-currents was investigated under vary- 

 ing conditions of ventilation, &c. , also the behaviour of secondary 

 cavities. Some old and new experiments on the act of smelling 

 are explained on the basis of the facts elicited. 



From the woody tissue of some plants (according to recent re- 

 searches by Herr Max Singer, Vienna) four substances can be 

 extracted by means of hot water : I. Vanillin, which seems to 

 be one of the most widely distributed plant-substances ; it is 

 found even in decayed wood and in brown coal. 2. A sabstance 

 which shows the reactions of coniferin. 3. A species of gum 

 soluble iu water. 4. A substance soluble in water, and coloured 

 yellow with muriatic acid, not identical with any of those already 

 specified. Moreover, woody tissues (also elder pith) contain the 

 wood gum discovered by Thomson. In what relation these 

 substances stand to the hypothetical lignine is not determined, 

 but the way in which they can be separated from the wood, one 

 after another, by water, renders it probable that what is called 

 lignine is a mixture of several chemical entities. 



The Academy of Sciences has nominated M. Bertrand as its 

 representative at the inauguration of the Fermat statue, which 

 will take place on August 20 next, in a small country town of 

 Tam-et-Garonne, where this illustrious mathematician was born, 

 at the beginning of the 1 7th century. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Diana Monkey (Cercopithecus diana) from 

 West Africa, presented by Messrs. L. and J. Boljhon; a Bonnet 

 Monkey (Maeacus radialus) from India, presented by Mrs. 

 Norris ; two Tovi Parrakeets (Brotogerys tovi) from Columbia, 

 presented by Major Langford Brooke ; two Uvean Parrakeets 

 (Nymphicus uvaensis) from Uvea, Loyalty Isles, a New Zealand 

 Parrakeet (Cyanorhampkus nova-zealanditt) from New Zealand, 

 presented by Mr. E. L. Layard, H.B.M. Consul, New Cale- 

 donia; an American Robin (Tardus migratorius) from North 

 America, presented by Col. Verner ; a Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla 

 flava), a Marsh Tit (Parus palustris), British, presented by Mr. 

 H. Grant ; four Speckled Terrapins (Clemmys guttata) from 

 North America, presented by Mr. C. D. Ekman ; a Common 

 Snake ( Tropidonotus natrix), British, presented by Mr. Foyer 

 Poyer ; nine Fire-bellied Toads (Bombinator ignais), aLacertine 

 Snake (Calopeltis lacertina), a Back-marked Snake (Khinechis sea- 

 laris), European, presented by Mr. G. A. Boulenger ; a Newt 



{Notopthalmus viridescens), from America, presented by Messrs. 

 Sargent ; an Undulated Grass Parrakeet (Melopsittaeusundulatits) 

 from Australia, depo-ited ; a Canada Goose (Bernicla cana- 

 densis), British, a Sharp. nosed Crocodile (Crocodilus acutus) 

 from Central America, purchased ; two Geoffroy's Doves (Peri- 

 stera geoff'roii), bred in the Gardens. The following insects have 

 emerged during the past week: — Silk Moths: Actios selene ; 

 Moths: Hypocheraio, Ceratocampa imperialis, Deilephila vesper- 

 tills, Deilephila euphorbia, Sciapteron tabaniformis, Sesia museeJ- 

 for/nit, Sesia empiformis, Zygoma jUipciiJtila, Plusia concha ; 

 Butterflies : Apatura iris, Vanessa polychlorus, Lycania tolas, 

 Aporis crabcegi. 



DISTRIBUTION OF AWARDS, NORMAL 

 SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND ROYAL SCHOOL 



OF MINES 

 ""THIS took place in the Lecture Theatre of the South Kert- 

 sington Museum on Saturday, June 24. The Vice-President 

 of the Committee of Council on Education, the Right Hon. A. 

 J. Mundella, M.P., took the chair. 



Col. Donnelly, after some introductory remarks, said : — In 

 the report of the school, which you have before you, Sir, there 

 is a paragraph from which some people might possibly imagine 

 that the necessity for training teachers in science was not thought 

 of when the general scheme of aid to science instruction was con- 

 sidered and promulgated in 1859, and that it was not until that 

 scheme had been in operation for a few years that the necessity 

 for training science teachers came to light. Now, Sir, I was 

 present at the deliber.itions which took place on the framing of 

 that Minute of 1S59, and although it is a long time ago I have 

 a very distinct recollection of all that occurred. 



But I would here wish for one moment to digress, and recall 

 the memory of a remarkable man who was deeply connected 

 with those deliberations, and to whom they owe so much. He 

 has but recently been taken from us, and though Sir Henry Cole 

 had for several years ceased his connection with this institution, 

 I am sure it needs no excuse from me that on this, the first public 

 ceremony which has taken place since his death, I recall to you 

 for one moment his memory. We cannot but all remember how 

 much this place, and science and art instruction, I mean of couise 

 elementary science and art instruction, owe to Sir Henry Cole. 

 No one would be so foolish as to suppose that even if Sir Henry 

 Cole had not lived and worked we should not at the present time 

 have had a system of elementary science and art instruction in 

 the country ; but it is given to a few men here and there, now 

 and then, to have a clear view before them, and to have that 

 energy and indomitable perseverance, which enables them, as it 

 were, to put on the hands of the clock, and to impress a form 

 an 1 reality on what in the hands of other men would probably 

 have remained vain imaginings. Sir Henry Cole was such a 

 man ; and no one who, like myself, worked for some fifteen or 

 sixteen years under him, could fail to be impressed with that 

 remarkable personality ; with his boundless sympathy in all pro- 

 gress and work ; and with his extraordinary vis viva which com- 

 municated some at least of his zeal and devotion to all v ho 

 came in contact, and were working, with him. 



Well, Sir, to recur to the deliberations with regard to the 

 Minute of 1S59 ; numbers of educational doctors were consulted ; 

 they all proposed, and I believe it was about the only suggestion 

 in which they all agreed, that the first thing to be done was to 

 establish a system of training teachers at some central institution, 

 such as the School of Mines in Jermyn Street, which when it 

 was first established had ihat object in contemplation. For- 

 tunately — most fortunately — that advice was not followed. Yon 

 w ill remember, Sir, that a noble lord, your predecessor in the 

 office you now hold, has been somewhat twitted with prophe- 

 sying something with regard to the steam-ploughs in A-ia 

 Minor. The day will no doubt come when his lordship will 

 have the laugh of the scoffers. But a cargo of steam-ploughs in 

 Asia Minor at the present moment would be a no more hopeful 

 consignment than a number of trained teachers issued from a 

 central establishment, to make their living by science instruction, 

 would have been in 1859. We had to trust to a much ruder 

 implement, if I may say so, and we had to trust to that local 

 implement being brought out and set in motion by a system of 

 payments by results, and right well many of 'hose local teachers 

 have done their work. I should remind you, sir, that the 



